


Break the Limit!

by KillerQueen312



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fights, Gen, Original Character(s), Shounen Fights, Student Council
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 18:57:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15079553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KillerQueen312/pseuds/KillerQueen312
Summary: Having been accepted two years early into Beacon Academy, Ruby Rose was initially aiming for a relatively peaceful four years through Beacon. But with a new brutal curriculum in place and competitive classmates who consider each others rivals, those peaceful four years became nothing but a pipe dream. No pressure, right?





	Break the Limit!

**Break the Limit!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. I'm just playing around with Rooster Teeth's property.**

* * *

_Don't think outside the box; think like there is no box. - ?_

* * *

_Chapter 1: Somnus Ultima_

**_In the distant future_ **

Ruby Rose leaned on what remained of her weapon as she drew ragged breaths, her lungs burning from the epic battle she had experienced to get there. Sweat matted her brow, and her bangs clung to her forehead, but she couldn't come to care for her ragged appearance.

This was the end of the line.

Sitting on the former throne of the Queen of Grimm, she let her mind wander to those that had allowed her to go this far. The collapsed roof of the castle reminded her of Beacon's own tall ceilings, and even though she could only see the dark red skies of the Grimmland, it still reminded her of better times. She tried to move her left leg to make herself comfortable, but instead got a sharp pang of pain. Looking down, she saw that it was bent at an odd angle, finally remembering the gigantic Grimm that gave her that. Unfortunately, her aura was too low for it to heal immediately, forcing her to use her own broken schyte as a makeshift crutch, its blades having been destroyed during the battle beforehand.

Slumping against the throne, Ruby glanced around the throne room, seeing nothing but broken furnitures and dust collecting at the corners. In a morbid sort of way, Ruby was sure that the castle would've looked fascinating in its prime - that being more than eighty years ago, during the Great War.

Holding her schyte in front of her, she leaned her forehead against the grip, remembering everything and everyone who had made her who she was now. "Guys," she said, almost whispering. "I leave it to you."

Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and even Cardin.

Her closest friends from Beacon.

"And Cinder."

Her mentor, role model, and friend.

"Thank you for everything."

Ruby Rose had made her peace. Lifting her head to look at the sky, she could feel her silver eyes burning with ethereal glow as she called upon her powers.

" _Warriors of yore!_ " she called. "Come to me!"

* * *

**_Before the Fall_ **

Beacon Academy.

A name that shouldn't be a surprise for those that lived on Remnant. Being one of the four huntsmen academies in Remnant, its existence was vital to humanity's continued existence. A place that churns out high-class warriors to protect the people of Remnant from the threat of the Grimm. The same can be said for the other three academies – a congregation of skilled warriors of various skill-sets and societal standings.

Within these schools, your status meant nothing. The amount of money you have did not matter. The people of Remnant could not afford to do that, as too much were at stake. All that matters is that you could fight. Fight like there is no tomorrow, for a better tomorrow.

Beacon Academy only accepts the best. However, simply being the best isn't enough to graduate. Since four school years ago, the school had adopted a new system – one that weeds out the weak and produced the hardworking and the talented into fearsome and intellectual warriors whose names were renowned throughout all four schools, even without having graduated.

This new system became known worldwide during the Vytal Tournament two years after its first use, and soon after, the other schools began to adopt this very same system. At first, many opposed this change – as it broke the tradition that all four schools had used for many decades. While one could argue on this, none could argue against the results.

Hundreds of potential students would be weeded out as stepping stones for those who pass initiation, and even then, more would be weeded out, leaving only a little more than half of those who passed initiation into the second years. Some would argue that humanity needed all the manpower it could get, while some argued that humanity needed more quality huntsmen as opposed to more huntsmen in general.

Headmaster Ozpin, the very person who developed this new curriculum, calmly watched from his window office – the view of Vale at night keeping him awake as he sipped his coffee. The students who had first gotten a taste of the new curriculum would be in their fourth year now, and that also meant more potential students for the first years.

Almost a thousand of pages of files were stacked on top of his desk, all of them detailing potential students that have caught Beacon's eye, or passed the required physical examination. Quite a few of them have caught his eyes, and Ozpin would be lying if he said he wasn't the least bit looking forward for the initiation.

"Here are another 50 pages of those files, Professor," said a melodic female voice, a little strained as she was carrying a sizable stack of papers. "It seems there are more potential students than last year."

"I can see that, Ms. Nikos," Ozpin hummed, turning around to face her as she put those papers on his desk. Even close to ten at night, she was still wearing her uniform. "I do apologize that I'm cutting into your rest hours. You more than deserve it after passing into the second year, even when admitted one year earlier than the others."

"Ah, it's okay Professor," Pyrrha waved a hand. "I can't really sleep either. And besides, helping the staff is part of my duty as a member of the student council."

"Anything particular keeping you awake, Ms. Nikos?" Ozpin asked, his eyes glinting with interest.

"Ah, I guess – well…" Pyrrha fidgeted. "It's a little embarrassing, but I guess I'm still not sure of my placement within the student council."

"Ms. Nikos," Ozpin called to her.

"Yes?"

"You are more than deserving of that position, and I'm sure the others will come to accept that in time," Ozpin assured her.

"I hope so, Professor," Pyrrha nodded, before her eyes strayed to the files on Ozpin's desk. "Although, what do you think of the new potential students?"

Ozpin chuckled, "Excited at fighting them, are you?"

"I – well… I can't exactly deny that," Pyrrha responded, a little embarrassed.

"There are some that have caught my eyes," Ozpin admitted. "We might have an interesting year ahead of us, especially with the Vytal Tournament on the horizon."

Sipping his coffee, Ozpin's eyes trailed over to a file belonging to a certain silver-eyed girl, as well as a few others.

* * *

_**BRRRRRRRRR~~~~** _

"Ugh…"

_Damn alarm clock. Shut up!_

_**BRRRRRRRRR~~~~** _

As the alarm continued to ring, her hands slowly crept up to her beloved weapon, intending to end the miserable existence of the device beside her bed. Still, with her position under the covers, it was a little hard to reach out on her scythe.

_Almost there… almost…_

"Ruby!" Yang called from downstairs. "You better not slice up your new alarm clock! It's the sixth one already, and we're not even past the middle of the year!"

_Urk… there goes my chance of silencing the monstrosity…_

"W-what?" Ruby answered back groggily. "I'm not intending on slicing up anything! Y-yeah, I'm not!"

"Riiight…" Yang said, clearly unconvinced. "You better get down here fast, or dad's going to eat all the eggs I made!"

"Coming!"

And so, Ruby Rose rose up from under the covers of her bed, making sure to silence her alarm first. She glared at the offending device, the red numbers on its electronic display blinking lazily, as if challenging her.

Leaving her room and stumbling down the stairs, a familiar sight of Yang in an apron greeted her. Her dad was also there, munching on some scrambled eggs as he read something on his scroll. Just beside the table was Zwei, happily eating his meal from his food bowl.

"Hey, Rubes!" Yang greeted, hands still focused on her cooking. "Dad was about to gorge down on your portion."

"I did not," Taiyang retorted, still reading his scroll. "And don't mind about me. Have you sent your application to Beacon, Yang? The initiation is only a month away."

"Of course I have!" Yang responded indignantly. "No way am I letting this chance go. I'm going to reach for the top position, dad! Just you wait!"

Ruby sat down before starting to eat the portion laid out in front of her. "The top position? Is it related to the new system in place?" she asked.

"You don't know, Rubes?" Yang asked back. "I heard the new system is very competitive and has a very high rate of expulsion depending on your performance."

"Urgh, that sounds scary," Ruby groaned, biting into her egg.

Taiyang shuddered. "It's even more rigorous than my time at Beacon, and that's saying something."

Yang brushed her hair back with flair, smiling confidently. "Well, your daughter here will take up the top position in the academy, haha!"

"With your tenacity, I'm not going to be surprised," Taiyang chuckled, before turning to Ruby. "You're also thinking of joining Beacon later, Ruby?"

Ruby blinked. "Uh, yeah – I mean, where else do I want to go?"

"Well, I don't know, there are three other academies to choose from, after all," Taiyang said. "Beacon isn't the only choice out there."

"Yang is going there, so I'll go there too, dad," Ruby answered. "Besides, aren't all the schools using the new system now?"

Taiyang nodded, "That's true. Still, it's something to think about, Ruby."

Finishing her meal, Ruby stood up. "Well, I'll think on it as I walk Zwei around the house. Come on, Zwei!"

The corgi barked happily at his master, wagging his tail as he followed the redhead out of the house. Ruby laughed as Zwei hopped around her leg, not realizing the concerned look both her father and sister were giving her.

As Ruby shut the front door behind her, Yang turned to her father. "I know what you're thinking, dad. You're worried that the new competitive nature of Beacon will get to Ruby."

"Have you seen the rate of expulsions, Yang?" Taiyang bristled. "You're hotheaded and competitive, but Ruby? She's not a proactive person, she a reactive one. They can't survive long in that kind of environment."

"I'd give her the benefit of the doubt, dad," Yang smiled. "She might surprise us. Besides, it's still two years away."

Taiyang crossed his arms. "Even if all the other academies have adopted the same system, Beacon is still the harshest of the four of them. Even Atlas is more lenient, and that's saying something."

"I know you're trying to look out for us, dad," Yang said, putting a hand on her father's shoulder. "But we'll manage. Trust us on this."

Taiyang gave Yang a forlorn smile at her statement. Well, fussing over it wouldn't do anyone any good. Still, maybe he could prepare Ruby for the new curriculum, harden her or something – awaken her competitive nature. It wouldn't do well for her to enter Beacon as it was now with no real drive.

At least he still had two years, right?

* * *

Taiyang clutched the letter in his hands, roaming over the words for the third time or so. There had been two letters. The first had been about Yang's application for the initiation, which had been accepted. The second one, however, sent a cold shiver down his spine.

It was an invitation letter from Beacon to be a student. And it was intended for his youngest daughter...

"Goddammit, Ozpin!"

* * *

Okay, calm down. He was ready for this. Two years of rigorous training with his elder sisters was no joke, and not to mention the live training in the forest surrounding his hometown with Grimm. He even cut down on his Pumpkin Pete's consumption. The things he'd do to be a huntsman…

Jaune Arc was ready for the new Beacon Academy.

Or was he?

Standing straight up by the window of the ship, Jaune made sure to focus on a patch of cloud in the sky. He needed to focus, lest the urge to throw up rise up again. That and seeing the other initiates simply made him nervous. Jaune did not attend any combat school, as he only started training two years prior to today, and yet his application form along with a recommendation letter from his father had allowed him to pass through, for now.

He didn't even have any mecha-shifting weapons on his person – just his set of sword and shield handed down by his father. Crocea Mors was said to have been made with the finest steel found from across Vale, keeping its sharpness even as it was handed down from one Arc to another. And yet, he still felt inadequate. His weapon felt laughably simple, if he were being honest.

_Oh god…Is that girl carrying a grenade launcher behind her!? Hurrk! She's staring back at me! Calm down, Jaune. Remember what dad said!_

_All you need is confidence?_

_Or was it to not move in the face of a predator?_

_Whichever one works, right?_

Standing ramrod straight like a deer caught in a headlight, Jaune stared back at the girl. She narrowed her eyes. Jaune wasn't sure what to do, so he narrowed his eyes back. The girl raised an eyebrow – her left one, to be precise. Jaune raised his right one. Then the girl suddenly turned to the black haired male beside her and whispered something into his ear. He hadn't even noticed the male's presence during his bout of nervousness. Not even into his first day and already minus one friend? Aren't strangers supposed to be friends you haven't met yet?

He couldn't really hear what the girl was talking about, but he sure hoped it wasn't anything bad.

* * *

"Hey, Ren," the girl whispered. "That guy just can't stop staring at our direction. Maybe he has the hots for you."

"Sure, Nora," the boy said, staring out the ship's window as he 'listened' to his lifelong friend, whose face became a little displeased at Ren's answer.

* * *

Okay, now Jaune really was curious as to what the girl was whispering about. Still, as the black-haired boy moved away from the window, the girl followed behind him, but not before shooting him a small glare and mouthing, ' _I'm watching you._ '

Really? Just for staring? And here Jaune thought he'd actually make a good start to his school life. Guess it really was too much to hope for. It wasn't like he was very social in public school, but he wasn't a shut-out either.

"Ruby! Watch out! Don't run!"

Turning around to the sound of running steps behind him, Jaune was about to try this 'greeting' thing once again when he felt something crash against his stomach. It was short, red, and let out a yelp as he landed on his butt with her on top.

"I'm sorry!" the dark-haired girl exclaimed.

Unfortunately, her actions proved to be his undoing as his willpower crashed down onto Remnant, and the bile started to rise up his throat. Having his stomach practically shoved down really didn't do well for him. Despite the panic, however, Jaune moved his head to the side. If he was going to vomit, it wasn't on someone's head. He could say goodbye to any semblance of a social life if that were to happen.

**HRRKK**

As the sounds of his vomiting subsided, Jaune opened his eyes, only to be greeted with boots with its front covered by his… fluids. The red-haired girl on top of him gasped as she gazed upwards, and he couldn't help but follow her gaze. He was greeted with red eyes, and a shock of blonde hair – but mostly red and a very angry pair of eyes.

* * *

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm the one who crashed onto you! I'm sorry!"

"No, I'm the one who vomited on her shoes! I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry for that!"

"I told you, I'm sorry!"

Yang watched the exchange with a dubious expression. Both sides were trying to out-apologize the other. She wasn't sure she had ever seen such an exchange. Nevertheless, it didn't change the fact that Vomit Boy still vomited over her boots. She had already washed them off, but still…

With the three of them standing outside of the air transport, having arrived at their destination, Yang took note of the direction everyone was going. A figure of a female blonde professor guided them across the campus ground using holographic screens. If her memory served her correct, it was Glynda Goodwitch. Yang wasn't aiming to be an overachiever or the sort, but she had done some research on who the staffs were, making sure she wasn't going in blind.

Well, research being, asking all she could think of to her dad…

Ruby, on the other hand…

"I'm sorry!"

"I said I'm sorry! It's not your fault!"

Yang sighed. Ruby had accepted the invitation to Beacon without a second thought, much to their dad's chagrin, not hiding her eagerness at becoming a huntress in the slightest bit. A part of her felt proud that her baby sister had gotten recognition from the headmaster himself, while another part of her was internally fussing at how Ruby would be doing in such a competitive environment.

Yang was no fool. She may be talking of going on reaching the top, but she knew that it wasn't going to be easy. If everything she had heard of the new Beacon was true, then it was a place where skill was valued above all others. Sincerity and earnestness, while appreciated, would not allow you to advance the year, let alone graduate.

Turning around to her sister and the blond boy, Yang separated them, "Sheesh, cut it out, you two! We're in a hurry for the opening announcement, so I'll let this one pass, Vomit Boy."

"V-Vomit Boy!?"

Yang raised an eyebrow. "I could call you that, unless you're willing to give me a name."

"It's Jaune Arc," he answered.

"I'm Ruby Rose!" Ruby said from the side. "This is my sister, Yang Xiao Long."

"Sister?" Jaune asked.

Yang shrugged. "Different mothers."

"Ahh…" Jaune intoned. "So, you're both here for the initiation?"

Ruby nodded enthusiastically. "We sure are!"

Jaune looked at Ruby, scanning her figure. "Um," he started. "You seem a little young, if I'm being honest."

Yang wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders with a proud smile, pulling the smaller girl to her. "My sister here got scouted by Ozpin himself two years early. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yang!" Ruby yelped. "He doesn't need to know that!"

"Really?" Jaune asked, his self-confidence seemingly taking a sudden U-turn. "T-that's great! I'm sure your family is proud."

"Oh, they are," Yang laughed. "Or at least some of them are. Dad wasn't too excited about it."

"Huh, yeah," Jaune said, before looking around. "So, any idea where we should be going?"

Yang sighed, before looking at Ruby, who also looked expectantly at her. Seriously? Not even a glance at their surroundings? "This way," she said, leading Jaune and her sister towards what she assumed to be the auditorium. The two of them walked a few feet behind her, seemingly absorbed in their own conversation. Not bad for someone who started by vomiting on her shoes. She hoped Ruby's future friends wouldn't see fit to exert any of their fluids on her or god forbids, Ruby, as a sign of greeting.

"Is that a sword on your belt?" Ruby asked. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Jaune blinked, "Huh, what?"

Yang held back the urge to palm her face at Ruby's wording.

* * *

The auditorium was crowded, like, really crowded. It was like an ocean of people, and if Yang hadn't been prepared for this, her jaw would probably hang by now. The three of them; her, Ruby, and Jaune, were standing in the back of the crowd, as they had arrived later than the others. Some other people chose the back of the crowd to avoid being pushed around. She could see some figures doing such a thing, most notably a figure with snow-white hair, and a very familiar logo on the back of her coat.

 _A Schnee?_  Yang thought.  _I hadn't heard much about them after the SDC went bankrupt a few years ago._

And it seemed the Schnee had gotten quite the attention towards her, as whispers seem to abound around her – no doubt talking amongst themselves about the fate of the Schnees. An unfortunate set of events orchestrated by the revolutionary Sienna Khan apparently led to their downfall. Yang didn't know any details, and nor had she cared for any, but seeing as she was going to share a school with a Schnee, it might not be that bad of an idea.

Speaking of revolutionaries…

Yang certainly recognized a certain faunus not far off to the side, leaning against a wall – not because she knew said faunus personally, but because that faunus appeared alongside her parents on TV so goddamn much. What was their name again? The Belladonas? With cat ears proudly on display, she also got quite the whispers surrounding her, some good and bad.

From what she knew, the White Fang had split into two factions, one led by the Belladonas, and one led by Sienna. So of – fricking – course, the daughter of the Belladonas would get such an attention. Eh… small chance she would ever socialize with the cat faunus. Yang never cared much for politics, which she was sure the Belladonas were buried in.

"I'll keep this brief," said a voice through the speaker. Tearing her attention away from the faunus, Yang glued her sight to the headmaster of Beacon, Professor Ozpin, standing straight in front of a microphone. His very presence seemed to exude an aura of command, demanding attention towards him, in a very authoritative yet subdued way. Even Ruby and Jaune had stopped chatting, their attentions firmly on the grey-haired man.

Ozpin cleared his throat. "It has been a little over three years since I applied a new curriculum for Beacon, as you are all aware. Over three years since I've abolished the team system, which had been a tradition we upheld for decades beforehand." Silence greeted him, the audience waiting for him to continue. "In these three years, Beacon has produced formidable warriors – ones that are considered the pinnacle of their efforts and talents. They've poured all their energy to reach their fourth, third, and second year. They've proved their mettle – their worth. However, all I see in you all who stand before me are wasted energies. Prove me wrong in the initiation tomorrow morning. And should you pass, I'll see you during lessons."

Nervous whispers broke out of the crowd as the headmaster walked away from the stage. Yang could feel a sense of excitement at the headmaster's challenge. Looking back towards Ruby and Jaune, she caught them still staring at where the headmaster was, even as the familiar figure of Glynda Goodwitch appeared in his place and guided them towards their lockers for them to secure their luggage. Yang didn't really blame them.

"So," Yang started. "Pretty interesting, huh?"

Jaune looked at her incredulously. "More like intimidating."

"You know," Ruby said. "I was expecting more words of encouragement."

"That wasn't encouraging enough?" Yang asked.

Both Jaune and Ruby looked at each other for a moment before shaking their heads simultaneously at Yang.

Rolling her eyes, Yang motioned for them to follow her. "Come on, Rubes, Vomit Boy! We better get to our lockers."

Yang just knew that a storm would be going over Beacon. First, there was a Schnee, and then the daughter of the leader of a faunus protest group? Ruby might not be much as of now, but Yang was sure to whip her sister up to shape. She even had a feeling that Vomit Boy would be an interesting one.

Beacon, here they come!

* * *

**A new AU story, yeah… This will go alongside "The Intersection(s) at Vale", and this is more of an attempt for me to overcome my dislike of writing fight scenes. First of all, I know that I made it out like Yang is the main protagonist, but she's not. Ruby and Jaune are going to be much more prominent later on. The reason she's so prominent in this chapter is for expository purposes, highlighting the changes in this AU. Can't really have Jaune and Ruby knowing a lot of things from the get go, as I honestly feel it'd be a little out of character for them to pay attention to such things, so that's where Yang comes in.**

**My concept for this fic is to take all you guys know of RWBY, and flip it over its head. The SDC has fallen, The White Fang conflict has escalated to an internal conflict between two factions, and even the team system has been abolished.**

**If I'm being honest, my main inspirations come from shonen-mangas, specifically sport mangas. Although if we're talking about the structure of the character placements and story elements, I'd say that Shokugeki no Souma (Food Wars) is my main inspiration.**

**Tell me what you think through a review, and don't forget to follow and favorite if you're itching for more. Like my other RWBY fic, I'll try to update it as soon as I can, which means a little over a week to a month (… college… it's taking a lot of my time…). I'll even try to update both fics not too long from each other.**

* * *

**Omake 01:**

_Three years ago_

Glynda clutched the edges of Ozpin's desk, her eyes hard as she faced the headmaster of Beacon. Ozpin leveled his own gaze at her, not backing down from her glare in the slightest.

"Pray tell, Sir, why exactly have you decided to abolish the team system? It is a tradition Remnant has upheld for decades!"

Ozpin folded his hands in front of him. "Are you sure you want to know the reason, Glynda?"

Glynda narrowed her eyes. "Positive, sir."

"Do you trust me, Glynda?"

"Sir?"

"Do you trust me?"

The blonde did not know where this was going, but she nodded nonetheless. "I do, sir."

Ozpin let out a sigh and looked down for a moment, before his eyes went back to her with renewed vigor. "I got sick of coming up with team names."

It took a second or two for Glynda to process the new information before something within her snapped.

The next day, Ozpin had to order a new  _penis chair_  for his office, for the previous one had mysteriously been hurled out of the tower's window.


End file.
